U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,318 granted to John Morello, et al. on Nov. 9, 1999 discloses an electrical connector comprising a connector body that has a plurality of terminal receiving cavities. Each terminal receiving cavity is defined in part by a rigid floor and opposed upright walls. A rigid lock nib extends upwardly from the rigid floor into the terminal receiving cavity. A flexible beam opposes the rigid floor and engages a terminal in the cavity to hold the terminal against the rigid lock nib to retain the terminal in the terminal receiving cavity. The connector body is constructed and arranged for receiving a terminal in each terminal receiving cavity. This electrical connector is well suited for its intended purpose of housing and retaining terminals.
However, the flexible beam causes a frictional resistance against the terminal as it is inserted into the terminal receiving cavity. This frictional resistance must be overcome by a terminal inserting force applied to a wire lead attached to the terminal. As the cross sectional size of terminals and the diameter of wire leads are reduced, the insertion force is more likely to cause undesirable bending of the wire lead and/or the terminal when the terminal is inserted into the terminal receiving cavity. Therefore, a connector body having a reduced terminal insertion force is desired.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.